Cardoza statement after farm bill passage

Here is statement from Rep. Dennis Cardoza, mere moments after sliding acorss my inbox.


WASHINGTON, DC – Today Congressman Dennis Cardoza (D-CA-18) heralded the passage of landmark reforms in the 2007 Farm Bill that will finally allow California farmers and producers to benefit equally from government farm programs. Mr. Cardoza helped to include historic investments in specialty crops, conservation, and nutrition programs in the 2007 Farm Bill, as well as commonsense improvements to the subsidy programs.

“California agriculture is finally getting the respect and treatment it deserves. This is a huge win for California and the right policy for America,” said Cardoza. He continued, “Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Peterson deserve credit for producing a farm bill for the 21st century that will support America’s farmers and comply with House pay-go rules.”

The 2007 Farm Bill contains $1.6 billion for programs that are priorities to specialty farmers, conservationists, and nutrition advocates. This funding includes resources for research and pest detection, block grants, organic farming, farmer’s market promotion, the Environmental Quality Improvement Program (EQIP), and the National School Lunch Program, which helps provide fresh fruits and vegetables to school children.

Within the EQIP program the bill contains $150 million for air quality mitigation, which will help farmers comply with federal and local air pollution laws. These funds are critical for farmers in California’s San Joaquin Valley which has some of the worst air in the nation and the toughest air quality laws. The bill also contains important technical changes that will allow more California farmers to be eligible for authorized farming programs.

The 2007 Farm Bill makes significant and timely reforms to many farm programs that were no longer functioning efficiently. The bill stops all payments to wealthy farmers with income over $1 million per year, fights waste, fraud, and abuse in the crop insurance program, and closes the “three-entity” rule. Savings from these programs are shifted to sectors of growing importance, like organic agriculture, and nutrition programs to get healthy farm products to school children.

Mr. Cardoza and other members of the Agriculture Committee, many of whom are Blue Dog Democrats, were dedicated to complying with pay-go rules in the 2007 Farm Bill. Compliance with pay-go and competing funding priorities, required lawmakers to take a hard look at all farm programs and discontinue or de-fund those that were not operating effectively.

“This bill threads the needle,” said Cardoza. “There is something for everyone to dislike, but everyone got what they needed. For the first time in the history of the farm bill lawmakers, conservationists, nutrition advocates, and farmers from all regions of the country support the overall bill.”

The 2007 Farm Bill passed on the House floor by a vote of 231 – 191. Farm Bill legislation will next be considered by the Senate.